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"I have never welcomed the weakening of family ties by politics or pressure" - Nelson Mandela."He who travels for love finds a thousand miles no longer than one" - Japanese proverb."Everyone has the right to respect for his private and family life, his home and his correspondence." - Article 8 of the European Convention on Human Rights."When people's love is divided by law, it is the law that needs to change". - David Cameron.

Saturday, 29 June 2013

A desperate husband writes to his MP

And we are sharing the letter here. It summarises the pain and desperation felt by those affected by the rules, as well as the stonewalling from the government's apologists.

At his request, this submission is anonymous, but we felt it important to share.

'Dear

'Thank you for your letter dated 25th June
relating to family migration. I have written to you a few times this year as
one of your constituents regarding my current situation in that I am unable to
meet the £18,600 criteria. What saddens me is that you only quote back to me
things I already know, having been in this nightmare scenario for the past year. I have researched this and lived with
this every day so am more than acquainted with the rules, most politicians will
not address the actual facts and implications surrounding these rules. Firstly
anyone living outside of the EU who wishes to come to live with their spouse or
partner has clearly stamped in their
passport ….NO RECOURSE TO PUBLIC FUNDS….this
has been the case even before the new rules. So how can the government say the
rulings are in place to make sure that your partner is not a burden on the
state. If they have no recourse to public funds whatsoever how does that make
them a burden on the state? they have no rights to the NHS without paying for
it, they are not eligible for benefits of any kind until they get permanent
residency.

'What irritates me greatly is that I was born in
Lincolnshire and lived all over the country during my 57 years and now find myself
in the position that I am at a total disadvantage compared to someone coming
from the EU into this country. They can come to the UK and have recourse to
public funds, they have no ridiculously high visa fees to pay during entry to
the UK and further fees during a further five year period to pay either. They
do not have to prove over a five year period that their marriage is genuine and
jump through so many hoops in order to have a family life here. Why can’t
common sense be applied? I was born here paid my taxes and national insurance,
worked hard and then to be told that to enable me to have a family life here it
now comes with a price tag attached. I should be allowed to marry who I choose
to marry and have a happy life, not be targeted because the only way to bring
down the immigration figures for the government can only be achieved by
targeting people from outside the EU knowing full well they cannot target those
from within Europe as they have freedom of movement.

'You mentioned the MAC report in your letter, but it does
not take into account the different areas of the country that people live in.
You are only too aware that within Lincolnshire the £18,600 threshold would not
be meet by a large proportion of people due to the salaries that are paid in
this part of the country, yet families here manage on the salaries that are
paid here, we can’t all be living in London and the south of the country for
obvious reasons.

'I know find myself in this ridiculous position of still
being self- employed and having to apply for jobs all over the country simply
to to meet this new criteria. This week I had an interview in Coventry for a
Design Studio Manager and had to go through the process of three interviews. I
was slightly embarrassed when I was asked why I wanted to move from
Lincolnshire and why at this time I wanted to not work for myself and work for
an employer. I was honest enough from the outset and told them that I had to
meet certain rules now to enable me to get married here in the UK and have a
family life here, and salary was the main criteria I had to have to achieve
this. I passed all the interviews and was asked to contact them the next day
for my thoughts on the job, sadly I did not get the position solely because I
was unable to relocate quickly enough and start work next week. That day cost
me over £98 in train fares and taxis, money I can ill afford to lose having
just my savings to live off every week. This is the crazy situation that this
government has forced me into.

'What this government fails to take into account is the personal
cost in human terms. This situation is a living nightmare for me, I have sleep
problems, constantly worry, I am a virtual recluse spending every waking hour
on my laptop applying for jobs, I barely have contact with people any more
because my total focus is trying to get my fiancée to be with me here so we can
get married and have a happy life, it surely is not asking too much is it?

'On a final note, Christmas Day I sat here all alone and
did wonder about people like yourself, sat around your dining table with your
family having a happy time. In comparison I had nothing, and had the worse
Christmas imaginable, spending it apart from the woman I love dearly. I looked
out of my window and my new- eastern European neighbours who had recently
arrived in the UK were receiving their visitors, and for once in my life I was
envious of someone else. Food for thought indeed!